A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Dublin vs. Santiago for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Dublin or Santiago?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Dublin or Santiago, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Where Should I go: Dublin or Santiago?

Dublin

Dublin is the vibrant and fun capital city of Ireland and home to over a third of the country's population. There are almost 2 million people in the metropolitan area. It's also the most common entry point into the country for visitors. Once you arrive, its a good idea to head over to the main tourist office in St. Andrew's Church off Grafton Street. They can give you maps and information to make sure your trip is efficient and fun. Many people enjoy seeing what remains of the Georgian architecture throughout the city. Much of the city is also modernist in style with many blocks made up of offices.

Santiago

Santiago is the capital city of Chile. It is centrally located in the long and narrow country, making it a good jumping off point to explore everywhere else. It's convenient location means that you can go skiing in the Andes one day, and hang out at the beach the next.

Santiago has a cool semi-arid climate that is similar to Mediterranean climates. The summers, which are between November and March, are warm and dry. The temperatures climb to around 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The winters, between June and August, are humid with cold mornings. The daily highs are around 55 degrees Fahrenheit and the lows stay a few degrees above freezing. Rain is more common in the winter months and the dry season is between December and March.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Walking Tours in Ireland, The Best Luxury Tours to Ireland, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Chile, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Chile.


Which place is cheaper, Santiago or Dublin?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Dublin is €179, while the average daily cost in Santiago is €134. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Dublin and Santiago in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Dublin 68
    Santiago 97
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Dublin 136
    Santiago 194
Compare Hotels in Dublin and Santiago

Looking for a hotel in Dublin or Santiago? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Dublin


Hotels in Santiago


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Dublin Hotel Prices and Santiago Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Dublin 19
    Santiago 4.82
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Dublin

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Dublin:


  • Rental Car for a Day
    15

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Dublin

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Dublin:

  • One-Way Bus Transfer from/to Dublin Airport: $12
  • Dublin DUB Airport to City Centre Private Transfer: $36
  • Airport Transfer and Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Ticket: $45
  • From Game of Thrones Studio Tour with Coach Transfer: $54
  • Private Dublin Departure Transfer - Hotel / Accommodation to Airport: $66
  • 1 to 8 People Private Transfer from Dublin Airport to City Centre: $88
  • Dublin Airport Transfer Electric Luxury Sedan: $88
  • Driven by Excellence , Defined by Prestige Wheels Transfers: $93
  • Premium Mercedes E-Class Transfer – Dublin Airport to City Centre: $94
  • Private Sedan (4 seats) Transfer from Dublin Airport to Dublin City Center: $102
  • Dublin Airport to Dublin City Private Transfer: $106
  • Private Transfer: Dublin to Dublin Airport DUB in Business Car: $111

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Santiago

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Santiago:


  • Metro Ride
    1.01

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santiago

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santiago:

  • Airport Transfer and Halfday City tour Santiago de Chile: $362
  • Airport Transfer: Santiago Airport SCL to Santiago by Luxury Van: $99
  • Airport Transfer: Santiago to Airport SCL by Business Car: $80
  • Arrival Transfer - Santiago International Airport to Hotel in Santiago: $35
  • Arrival Transfer: Airport SCL to Santiago by Luxury Van: $99
  • City tour santiago with excursion to valparaiso and airport transfer: $150
  • Cruise Ship Transfer to Valparaiso Port with 6 Hour tour + Winery: $89
  • Cruise Terminal Transfer from Valparaíso & Wine Tasting: $129
  • Departure Transfer: Santiago to Airport SCL by Luxury Van: $99
  • Maipo Valley Wine Tour, Concha y Toro, Private Transfer from Santiago: $262
  • Portillo and Laguna Del Inca, Exclusive Guide and Private Transfer: $250
  • Private 15-Passenger Premium Airport Transfer – Santiago (SCL): $190

Is it cheaper to fly into Dublin or Santiago?

Prices for flights to both Santiago and Dublin change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Dublin 85
    Santiago 20
Typical Food Prices in Dublin

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Dublin:


  • Lunch Lynam's Pub
    3.95

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Dublin

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Dublin.

  • Street Food Tour with Local Guide: $32
  • Belvedere Irish Night Show, Dance and Traditional 3-Course Dinner: $69
  • NO DIET CLUB - Best Food Tour in Dublin !: $73
  • Celtic Nights with Irish Dinner, Music & Dance Show: $82
  • Irish Dinner & Dance Show at Johnnie Fox’s: $87
  • Delicious Walking Food Tour: $93
  • Delicious Dublin Food Tour: $106
  • Howth Coastal Craft Beer and Seafood Tour: $115
  • Local Food Tour with 8 Tastings and Drinks: $116
  • Walking Food Tour with local chef, 7 stops or more!: $116
  • Dublin Historical Centre Food Tour with 7 Food Tastings & Drinks: $132
  • Dublin Private Walking Food Tour With Locals with 10 Tastings: $236

Typical Food Prices in Santiago

Some typical examples of dining costs in Santiago are as follows:


  • Empanada
    1.68
  • Hamburger
    2.23
  • Dinner
    23

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santiago

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Santiago.

  • Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $56
  • Best Santiago Street Food Tour with 4+ Tastings and Drink: $58
  • Mercado Meals Food Tour with 12+ Tastings: $60
  • 4h Cooking Class in 8 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $77
  • 4h Cooking Class in Santiago : 8 Recipes & Bottomless Drinks: $85
  • Local Food Tour with Tastings & Drinks: $99
  • Traditional Dinner Show in Santiago: $107
  • Small-Group Tour: Night City Tour with Santa Lucia Hill and Dinner Show: $116
  • Barrio Italia Food Tour with Tastings & Drinks: $119
  • Private Market Tour and Traditional Chilean Cooking Class in a Local Home: $125
  • San Cristobal Hill Night Tour with Dinner Show: $129
  • Dinner Show in Bali Hai with Wine refill and transportation: $129

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Dublin 25
    Santiago 42
Typical Entertainment Prices in Dublin

Here are a few typical costs in Dublin for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:


  • Wild Wicklow Tour
    26
  • Guinness Brewery for Two
    27
  • St Pauls Cathedral
    4.50
  • Dublin Writer's Museum
    6.30

Tours and Activities in Dublin

Here are a few actual costs in Dublin for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Discover Dublin A Private Tour: $1.15
  • Historic Landmarks Walking Tour: $4.65
  • Dublin Self Guided Audio Experience: $6.00
  • Dublin Old Town: Famous Pubs Exploration Game and Tour: $6.34
  • Dublin Walking Tour 3h45 and 20 audio reviews: $6.94
  • Ardgillan Castle Entry Ticket: $6.98
  • Interactive Guided Tour of Printing History: $7.05
  • Ireland 7 Day Self Guided Audio Tour on Your Smartphone: $7.63
  • Dublin Ghost Hunt Exploration Game and Tour: $8.22
  • Dublin Downtown Smartphone Guided GPS Audio Walking Tour: $9.75
  • Dublin (Dun Laoghaire) Top Rated Self-Guided Coastal Audio Tour: $9.99
  • The Mystical Hill of Tara: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.99

Tours and Activities in Santiago

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Santiago are as follows:

  • Santiago Cathedral's Bell Tower Official Tour: $11
  • Historical Sights Walking Tour: $15
  • Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino Admission Ticket: $17
  • Cable Car Admission Ticket: $18
  • History Walking Tour with a Local Guide: $21
  • A Fabulous Walking tour by the Old Santiago of Chile -: $25
  • Guided Walking Tour of the Historical Old Town: $25
  • Santiago Sightseeing Tour: Living History and Local Food Tasting: $25
  • Santiago : Highlights Walking Tour With A Guide: $25
  • Guided City Tour through the historic center of Santiago: $25
  • "Tour Tradicional" Viña Cousiño Macul Oficial español: $27
  • City Tour Santiago - Walking Tour: $29

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Dublin 17
    Santiago 7.48

Sample the Local Flavors in Dublin

Also in Dublin, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Generation Pub Crawl: $16
  • Teeling Whiskey Distillery Tour & Tasting: $23
  • The Black Experience Pub Tour: $24
  • Pearse Lyons Whiskey Distillery Experience: $26
  • Dublin Literary Pub Crawl: $27
  • City Pub Crawl Experience: $29
  • Drinks on Foot: Dublin Pub Tour: $32
  • Roe & Co Distillery Experiences: $33
  • Jameson Whiskey Distillery Tour with Tastings: $36
  • Dublin Jameson Distillery Tour and Tasting 45 mins: $36
  • Dublin Jameson Distillery Guided tour and Tasting in French: $36
  • Dublin Jameson Distillery Guided Tour and Tasting in German: $36

Sample the Local Flavors in Santiago

Also in Santiago, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • "Chile in Your Glass" Wine Tasting.: $22
  • Pub Crawl with Unlimited Beer and Welcome Shots: $25
  • Cousiño Macul Heritage Wine Tour with Tastings: $25
  • Traditional Wine Tour in Viña Cousiño Macul Official English: $27
  • "Premium Wine Tour" Viña Cousiño Macul Official english: $45
  • Viña del Mar, Valparaiso, with Casablanca Wine Tasting: $55
  • Valparaiso, Viña del Mar & Casablanca Wine Tour: $61
  • Valparaiso, Viña del Mar & Casablanca Wine Tour: $62
  • Valparaiso Port and Viña del Mar with Casablanca Wine Tasting: $68
  • Valparaíso and Vineyard of the Sea with Casablanca Wine Tasting: $68
  • Undurraga Winery Tour with Entry and Wine Tasting: $70
  • Undurraga Wine Tasting Tour from Santiago: $75


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Dublin and Santiago, we can see that Dublin is more expensive. And not only is Santiago much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Dublin is in Europe and Santiago is in South America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Santiago would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Santiago and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Dublin would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Dublin than you might in Santiago.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Dublin Expensive? and Is Santiago Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Dublin or Santiago?

Santiago has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Dublin. When comparing the sizes of Dublin and Santiago, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.


When is the best time to visit Dublin or Santiago?

Even though both destinations experience a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, they experience these seasons at different times of the year. Santiago is in the southern hemisphere and summer is in January and winter is in July, but Dublin has summer in [NORTHERNSUMMERMONTH] and winter in [NORTHERNWINTERMONTH].

Should I visit Dublin or Santiago in the Summer?

The summer attracts plenty of travelers to both Dublin and Santiago. Many travelers come to Dublin for the city activities, the music scene, and the family-friendly experiences.

Dublin is cooler than Santiago in the summer. The daily temperature in Dublin averages around 16°C (60°F) in July, and Santiago fluctuates around 21°C (70°F)in January.

In July, Dublin usually receives more rain than Santiagoin January. Dublin gets 50 mm (2 in) of rain, while Santiago receives 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain each month for the summer.


  • Summer Average Temperatures July and January
    Dublin 16°C (60°F) 
    Santiago 21°C (70°F)

Should I visit Dublin or Santiago in the Autumn?

The autumn brings many poeple to Dublin as well as Santiago. Many visitors come to Dublin in the autumn for the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, and the music scene.

In the autumn, Dublin is cooler than Santiago. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Dublin in October average around 11°C (52°F), and Santiago averages at about 15°C (59°F)in April.

Dublin usually gets more rain in October than Santiagoin April. Dublin gets 70 mm (2.7 in) of rain, while Santiago receives 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Autumn Average Temperatures October and April
    Dublin 11°C (52°F) 
    Santiago 15°C (59°F)

Should I visit Dublin or Santiago in the Winter?

Both Santiago and Dublin are popular destinations to visit in the winter with plenty of activities. Most visitors come to Dublin for the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine during these months.

In January, Dublin is generally much colder than Santiagoin July. Daily temperatures in Dublin average around 6°C (42°F), and Santiago fluctuates around 9°C (48°F).

In January, Dublin usually receives less rain than Santiagoin July. Dublin gets 69 mm (2.7 in) of rain, while Santiago receives 80 mm (3.1 in) of rain each month for the winter.


  • Winter Average Temperatures January and July
    Dublin 6°C (42°F) 
    Santiago 9°C (48°F)

Should I visit Dublin or Santiago in the Spring?

Both Santiago and Dublin during the spring are popular places to visit. The spring months attract visitors to Dublin because of the activities around the city.

Dublin is much colder than Santiago in the spring. The daily temperature in Dublin averages around 8°C (47°F) in April, and Santiago fluctuates around 15°C (59°F)in October.

Dublin usually gets more rain in April than Santiagoin October. Dublin gets 51 mm (2 in) of rain, while Santiago receives 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Spring Average Temperatures April and October
    Dublin 8°C (47°F) 
    Santiago 15°C (59°F)

Typical Weather for Santiago and Dublin

Dublin Santiago
Temp (°C) Rain (mm) Temp (°C) Rain (mm)
Jan 6°C (42°F) 69 mm (2.7 in) 21°C (70°F) 10 mm (0.4 in)
Feb 6°C (42°F) 50 mm (2 in) 20°C (68°F) 10 mm (0.4 in)
Mar 7°C (44°F) 54 mm (2.1 in) 18°C (64°F) 10 mm (0.4 in)
Apr 8°C (47°F) 51 mm (2 in) 15°C (59°F) 10 mm (0.4 in)
May 11°C (52°F) 55 mm (2.2 in) 12°C (54°F) 50 mm (2 in)
Jun 14°C (57°F) 56 mm (2.2 in) 9°C (48°F) 40 mm (1.6 in)
Jul 16°C (60°F) 50 mm (2 in) 9°C (48°F) 80 mm (3.1 in)
Aug 15°C (60°F) 71 mm (2.8 in) 10°C (50°F) 40 mm (1.6 in)
Sep 14°C (56°F) 67 mm (2.6 in) 12°C (54°F) 20 mm (0.8 in)
Oct 11°C (52°F) 70 mm (2.7 in) 15°C (59°F) 10 mm (0.4 in)
Nov 8°C (46°F) 65 mm (2.5 in) 17°C (63°F) 10 mm (0.4 in)
Dec 6°C (44°F) 76 mm (3 in) 20°C (68°F) 10 mm (0.4 in)